INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCHJack Waterman

What are the audience figures like for Film Noir? How does this compare with other genres?

As a genre Film Noir or the modern Neo noir are fairly uncommon. Occasionally films like Sin city and Gangster squad arise that are popular within a niche market. Sin City for example was a Based on a well known graphic novel. and used a very specialist approach to its effects. (i.e. most of the film is in black and white and edits are used to make much of the combat reminiscent of comic book action) fans of the graphic novel would likely flock to see the film however this market is very specialised and narrow. this is probably why not many Noir titles are made. It seems that film Noir ahas become a somewhat outdated, certainly overlooked genre. Whilst specialist audiences would look to Noir for its unique style. The average movie goer is much more likely to choose a thriller or horror film because with a more established genre they know what to expect. I expect that this is why Noir producers like the creators of Sin city and Gangster Squad must use gimmicks like high profile actors and flashy effects to draw in a dwindling audience by making there picture stand out from the crowd.

What is the average profit for Film Noir? How can I use this information to ensure my film is a

success?

The table shows the box office takings for early film noir. In it’s heyday the genre was highly popular and as we can see from the table showing incredibly high profits in terms of the time at which these films was produced. The genre was easy and cheap to produce due to it’s scope for minimal effects and lighting as well as a basic story framework that could easily be reworked and jazzed up with gimmicks. Film noir’s would often be shown as part of a double feature and where sold in bulk to cinemas by huge production companies. Obviously these figures are not entirely relevant to modern film releases. nowadays, the genre is not quite so popular and film noir titles such as the “Sin City” franchise and are mistakes for thrillers/horrors by everyday viewers. The movie going audience has evolved and the Film noir genre is not nearly as prominent as in the days of it’s roots. Whilst modern (Neo-Noir) are still produced, large production companies rarely release material that is highly reminiscent of the original genre.

Neo-Noir

As we see in the table there are fewer big name titles than in earlier years. occasionally more prominent titles like “Gangster squad” and “Sin city” are released. the box office takings for these are fairly high however most titles aren’t as well received and make a much lower profit.

I can apply this information to the successful creation of my own film. I can try to mimic the features of films that do better at the box office. these films tend to be modern revivals of the classic noir format. “Gangster Squad” for example puts a modern spin on the classic dark gangster story by using fairly high profile modern actors giving the genre a newer feel.

Obviously it wouldn't be possible for me to use high profile actors in my production however I can note the way “Gangster squad” takes a modern approach to a classic film format almost as in tribute to the age old genre.

Who tends to distribute Film Noir? What films have they released recently and have these been

profitable?• Warner Brothers: The company produced many of the classic Film Noir titles such as “The maltese falcon” and “The big sleep” these titles where highly profitable for there time as some of the most popular releases of the era. Even more modern pictures like “Gangster squad” are distributed by Warner Brothers. This is a testament to the fact that warner brothers is a leader of the Genre.

What kind of release does Film Noir receive? Platform/staggered/wide release.

• Originally Film Noir would receive a platform release in selected cinemas that paid for them. nowadays they are generally subjected to a wide release as the few that are produced are made quite high profile to draw in the audience. Gangster squad had a wide release for example.

Summary of how I will use this data in application to my own production. Who would distribute my product, who my

target market is and what kind of profit I hope to recoup.• My research has shown me that the most successful Film Noir are given a wide release and dressed up with A list stars or use flashy effects as to win back over a fickle audience. Some successful Films have attempted to pay homage to the classic genre and have been well received by more specialist viewers who regard them to be reminiscent of the greats of the past. To maximise the films success I would take these points into consideration. Warner Brothers would be a likely distributor for the kind of classical tribute that I wish to create for a target market of specialist viewers. without acces to high profile actors and special effects however and because my film will be very classically focussed, it is likely that i would lose out of the everyday audience. limiting my audience to the specialist viewer means limiting my profits meaning the kind of profits i would hope to recoup would be fairly low

I have explored and analysed the data for film Noir using these websites:

• http://www.the-numbers.com/• http://boxofficemojo.com/

•http://launchingfilms.com/research-databank/